Chiller: Part One: What the Hutch
by Gillen1962
Summary: A new chapter dawns. There is construction all over Port Charles but Sonny wants a bigger piece then he is getting. Jason tells Carly that he has no plans on going to prison and being away from Rovena and the boys, but can he keep that promise? Laura and Scott have a long talk with Hutch and Alexandria's plans become clearer. And some one is asked. "Would you like to dance?"


_Chiller: Part One: What the Hutch_

"I never liked this city" grumbled Scott Baldwin as he and Laura Collins climbed out of the cab in front of Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City.

Laura smiled "Scott, is there anything you don't hate?"

He stopped at the revolving door. "Coffee. I love good coffee."

Laura shook her head at her old friend. "How are things going with you and Bobbie?'

They stepped on an elevator and pressed twelve.

"Ahh you know one day good and one day bad," Scotty said.

"and Lucy?"

"Same."

Scotty saw the look in Laura's face. He had known her since she was seventeen. Nearly forty years. "What?"

Laura shrugged. "Not my place Scott but you, well all of us, but I am talking to you, seem to spend a lot of time trying to fix old mistakes."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning do you know why Kevin and I work so well?"

"Because you are amazing, and he is an opportunist" Scotty said

Laura laughed. "That's cute. But we work well because we didn't come in with all this baggage of the past with each other. "

"And your point?"

"My point is that with me, with Lucy and with Bobbie, you have already been there and done that, there are reasons those relationships did not work out. Why keep going back over the same territory again and again. Find someone new."

Scotty scoffed as he pointed down the hall to the room they needed. "And where at my age do I find that? Tinder?'

Laura pursed her lips. "Would you trust me to arrange dinner with Kevin and I and some one?"

"I have to eat with Collins?"

Outside the door with the sign that said J. Hutchinson Laura smiled at Scott who said. "Okay."

Laura knocked on the door and a thin voice said "Come in."

Though her former husband Luke Spencer had kept in touch with Jefferson Hutchinson, Hutch, over the years, Laura had not seen him in decades.

The thin frail man laying in the hospital bed, bore little resemblance to the handsome hitman who had spent a summer on the run with Luke and herself.

His hair was gone. He was bone thin and looked beaten and worn.

"Laura?" He said smiling.

"Hi Hutch, it's been a long time?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry."

Laura scoffed. "For what? "

"Jennifer. She is trying to help."

Laura looked at him sadly. "Will you tell me what is up? You wouldn't speak to the WSB?"

"Not going to start talking to cops at this late date."

"What about to me?"

Hutch looked at Scotty. "Who's he?"

"My friend Scott."

"The one you were married to?"

"Yes. We are friends now, Hutch, Jennifer is working for Scott's sister Brooke."

"Bentley? She was. I wish she still was, but that bitch has her hooks in both of them now and it is my fault."

"Who Hutch?"

"Alexandria Quartermaine."

TJ Ashford, his Mother Jordan, his Uncle Curtis and their Aunt Stella, stood with Toussaint Dubois and Molly Cassadine-Lansing in another wise empty funeral home. In the casket in front of them was Dara Wu.

"Thanks again for getting the autopsy done so quickly and her body released Mom, she would not have liked hanging out in the Morgue."

Jordan smiled. "It was no problem TJ; the new medical examiner seems like an upright guy. And he was happy to expedite the autopsy."

"Did it tell them anything" Curtis asked.

"Strangled, then Sexually Assaulted then beaten around the mouth. She lost several teeth; they didn't find them at the scene."

"Drugs?" TJ Asked.

His mother shrugged sadly and nodded her head.

TJ shook his head. "If only I had done more."

"You did all you could TJ" Molly said.

"It wasn't enough" The boy said sobbing. He looked at his girlfriend. "I can't thank your Uncle enough for paying for this."

"He said he was honored." Molly replied. "That you are a good man. I agree."

Stella took TJ by the arm. "Come on let's say goodbye." She led him up to the casket

Jordan looked at Molly and motioned towards the back of the room. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Jason walked into the construction trailer taking his hard hat off as he did. Sonny sat behind a desk he was on the phone and held up a hand and motioned Jason to sit.

A moment later Sonny hung up "How is the dig coming?"

Jason nodded; they were working on converting the old underground Cassadine labs beneath General Hospital into a state-of-the-art rehabilitation Center. The project involved a large underground walkway from a street level clinic entrance more than a half a block from the hospital to help preserve the anonymity of the patients admitted.

"Slow, there is more bedrock then we were told to expect but overall it is going well."

Sonny smiled. In the corner he saw the ghost of his late wife Lilly settle into a chair. "Have you had the opportunity to speak with any of our old contacts concerning those women who were rescued the other day?'

Sonny was referring to a group of women who had been being held in the sex trade in a warehouse in Sonyea. They had been freed by the PCPD and Sonny's man on the inside of the PCPD had asked him to look into the matter.

Sonny had let Dev think he was doing it for altruistic reasons, but the truth was Sonny's mind was working on a much deeper plan.

"I spoke with Malone, the guy who ran the club where Abby use to work."

"Who?" Sonny asked.

"Abby Haver, Michael's ex." Jason said.

Sonny looked at him blankly. If it did not involve Sonny directly, he rarely remembered names or people.

Jason shrugged. "Anyway, Malone said that a lot of these girls have been coming into town through a biker group called Quantrill's Raiders"

"Is that their leader? This Quantrill?" Sonny asked.

On occasion Jason was glad that he still had the ability to tap the education that Jason Quartermaine had been given. "No, they are named after a group of Confederate Bushwhackers. The Club President is from downstate a guy name Billy Murray."

"Where do they meet?"

"They are hanging out at a place in Sonyea called Devil's"

Sonny nodded. "Are you thinking of going there to find out more?'

Jason nodded.

They sat for a moment. "Okay" Said Sonny "See what you can find out. "

For the first time in a very long time it struck Jason that Sonny never offered to go along.

Dr. Tom Hardy sat across from his niece Elizabeth Baldwin at Kelly's diner, they both had coffee and were splitting a far too large piece of Kadaifi.

"This is delicious" said Elizabeth.

Tom just nodded in agreement. He enjoyed his niece's company, though he still felt guilty for all the years that he and his brother had neglected this remarkable woman.

"Have you heard from Steven?" Elizabeth asked.

"I tried several times. I'd like to think that it has something to do with him being busy at Mercy, but I just don't think so."

"Me either" Elizabeth said sadly. "He is avoiding us."

"Well I'm not" Said her sister Hayden as she came over to the table. "Can I join you."

Tom rose and pulled out a chair for his other niece. "Yes Please. How are you? I was stuck at GH during the crisis, but I did manage to catch you on the TV."

"Ha" Hayden laughed. "That was mostly Dillon but thanks."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I was sitting right here, yeah Dillon was the one on the air, but you were the one who kept him on there."

"I thought for a few minutes I was going to have to prop him up with a mop or something poor guy was exhausted."

"Yeah but he did great work and it really put the streaming service on the map." Tom said

Hayden nodded. "Yes, which I guess kind of brings me to the sneaky reason I wanted to join you guys."

"Not because you missed your sister and uncle?" Elizabeth said.

Hayden took a fork and ate a piece of the dessert. "No not really" She said with a smile.

Elizabeth and Tom smiled. Hayden sat back "Actually I want to offer the two of you a job."

"Ahh you are starting your own hospital?" Tom asked grinning.

Hayden smiled. "No but I am at the ground floor of a TV network and I would like the two of you to host a show."

Peter August sat at his desk at the Intruder. Across from him sat Prescott Floyd the former Mayor of Port Charles who had along with an investment group recently taken a controlling interest in Peter's newspaper. While they were happy to leave the day to day running of the paper to Peter, their influence over the editorial pages had begun to grow.

"I am sorry" said Peter. "I just do not see where the letters to the editor section falls under the terms of our deal."

"The letters are on the editorial page and I control the editorial page." Said Floyd simply.

"I will need to have my attorneys look over the contract"

Floyd shrugged his shoulders. "Go ahead, but in the meantime why don't you just make this less acrimonious and err on our side."

"And stop running letters that support Roy Ward for governor."

"Stop running letters that advance a far-left agenda that our readers are not at all interested in hearing."

"And how do you know that?"

Floyd pushed a computer tablet towards Peter. "These are the on-line comments in response to published letters to the editor that show a support for a far-right agenda. You will see the overwhelming number of them are critical of the letters."

Peter shrugged. "People with too much time on their hands playing on social media. Nothing new in that."

"And yet those people who are playing on social media as you say are the same people buying your newspaper."

"For the sports section" Snapped Peter

"Maybe if you were less condescending to our readers August, we would have more of them."

Peter sat back in his chair. He saw his intercom buzz. He picked up the phone listened for a second then said. "Tell her one minute."

"I will have the lawyers look at it." Peter said,

Floyd nodded. "Two business days Peter then I will have our lawyers file an injunction. Let's not make this hostile okay?"

He held out his hand and Peter took it reluctantly. Floyd left and before Peter could even sit back down Lulu Falconeri entered the room.

"He really is disgusting" She said as she sat down.

Peter nodded. "What is up Lulu?"

She hesitated. Peter did not like her hesitating. "Peter, you know how grateful I am for the opportunities you have given me here."

He knew where this was going. "You have done a great job."

"Thanks, and I want to keep on doing a good job." Lulu said. "But I want to drop down to free-lance."

"Why?" Peter asked. "I thought the regular gig was good for you, given health care and such for Rocco?"

"Truthfully, I have been offered an on-air position at Outback Studios."

"Aurora's streaming service?'

"Yes." Lulu said softly. "I will be co-hosting Good Morning Port Charles with Dillon Quartermaine and be the solo anchor of noon time broadcast. We are also negotiating a series of documentaries, called 'The Past is always Present' kind of a spin off of what I did with the Ryan Chamberlain stuff, revisiting past news stories."

"I can see where that is a great offer." Peter said flatly.

"You know I have loyalty towards you" Lulu said.

Peter stood up. "And I know that you will continue to turn in great stories when you can" He held out his hand. Lulu Shook it.

He watched her leave. And then screamed.

Dr. Terry Randolph gratefully accepted the cup of coffee from Alexis Davis. She was at the new offices of Baldwin, Davis, Miller and Baldwin which were located in the new office complex that had opened in the building adjacent to the Logan Hayes Veterans Center.

Alexis sat across from her on the couches in the center of the office. Diane Miller, Alexis' friend and partner flipped through some files and then joined them.

"So." Said Diane. "Have you process what we spoke about?"

Terry laughed. "Have I thought about it. Yes, process no, there is no way to process the absurd."

"The McCarthy's do not think it is absurd."

"But to Sue me because Mercy Hospital would not hire me because I am trans, is nuts. Sue Mercy if you want but what would they like me to do about it? They could have brought their son to GH if they so wanted my help."

"But you still would have been transsexual" Alexis said.

"Then sue God. I was born this way." Terry snapped.

The three women sat silently for a moment.

Diane spoke slowly. "I need us to establish something up front Dr. Randolph."

"And that is?"

"We, Alexis, me, the firm, are on your side. While technically we are the attorneys for General Hospital, we have spoken with Dr. Quartermaine and the board and the services of the firm will be extended to you as this suit reflects on the policy of GH. Alexis and I also very much support Trans rights and the LGBTQ+ community"

Alexis smiled "So does Scott Baldwin he just grumbles about everything."

Terry smiled. "Yes, I know, his daughter and I are friends."

"That said" Diane went on. "When we are discussing this case, we may say things you do not want to hear and may not like. It's not personal it is just a matter of having you prepared."

"Got it." Said Terry "But I still do not understand why they can even sue me?"

"They claim that if you were not Transsexual you would have been hired by Mercy."

"That is likely true" Said Terry "But"

Diane held up her hand. "Hold for a second. They also make an argument that in hiring you General Hospital made itself an ineligible location for them to take their son due to serious religious and moral difference."

"Stupid reason not to help your kid."

"Be that as it may, the McCarthy's allege that if you had sought treatment for your…." Diane could not find the right word.

"Status?" Said Terry. Then she laughed. "I did get treatment I had conversion surgery would they like to see?"

"They are claiming that since gender dysphoria is a mental health condition that you should have had it treated the same way as you would have had bipolar disorder treated and been able to be hired by Mercy."

"But it is not a mental condition it has been removed from the DSM and elsewhere."

"No being trans has been removed the DSM still lists Gender Dysphoria. And you were not treated for that" Said Diane.

"But I was. I had surgery."

"Which they claim exacerbated the problem not fixed it." Alexis said.

"So basically, they are saying I should have stayed a man?"

"They are saying that if you had stayed a man, their son would be alive."

Maxie Jones was growing increasingly annoyed. She had been waiting at the Metro Court for Carly for nearly an hour now. They were supposed to be meeting to decide which girls to use in the new ad campaign for the Spring line.

Maxie was enjoying running the fashion house of Deception but at times she found her partner Carly to be frustrating. She was beginning to wonder how Carly had run the Metro Court for all those years and then she slowly realized that she had, had Olivia who apparently did all the work.

Maxie spotted Michael Corinthos or was it Quartermaine, she could never keep track getting off the elevator. "Michael" She called out as she got up and walked over towards him.

"Hi Maxie." He said with a smile. "How are you?"

"Frustrated. I have been waiting for your mother for an hour and she is not only not here but not returning my texts either. Do you have any idea where she is?"

Michael shook his head. "No sorry. I don't. Have you tried reaching out to Joss?"

"I won't do that to her during school hours."

Michael nodded. "Yeah right sorry. Forgot that."

He was about to say something else when the elevator opened and one of the girls from the agency stepped off. She was a tall girl with long dirty blond hair.

"Abigail" Maxie said. "What are you doing here?"

"Carly sent me. She needed to stop off and see her mother and then Sonny, so she said that she trusted whatever it was you wanted to do."

"And she sent you all the way here to tell me that?" Maxie said annoyed.

The girl shrugged. "I guess she thought an in-person conversation would go over better." Abigail looked over at Michael and held out her hand. "Hi I'm Abby."

Michael took a step back and kind of sighed. "Hi Abby. I'm Michael."

"Cool"

Maxie looked at Michael and put her hand on his arm gently. "Abigail. Why don't you get yourself some lunch since you are here anyway? Charge Carly."

The girl nodded and walked over to the bar.

"You okay" Maxie asked.

Michael nodded. "Yeah. I am. I had almost forgot but today is Abby's birthday."

"Oh. I am so sorry." Maxie said. "Dates have a way of sneaking up on us."

Michael grinned. "Yeah. I should, I guess go to the cemetery and bring some flowers or something."

Maxie slipped her arm through his. "Come on. I'll go with you. I can stop by and complain to Nathan that I did not get to go on the Malkooth adventure."

Michael chuckled. "Yes, how dare they leave us out."

"Exactly."

Carly walked into the construction trailer and yelled. "Sonny?"

Jason came in one step behind her. "He's not here. I am not sure where he went. I think maybe a meeting with Sly."

Carly smiled. Jason seemed so distant here lately. She was really not liking this new girl of his at all.

"How are you? Between your trip to Malkooth and mine to Chicago it seems like forever since I have seen you."

"I'm good. "Jason said. It was he noted to himself increasingly difficult to deal with Carly. He loved her but she was stuck in a cycle of the past and every time he got near her; he could feel the whirlwind attempting to draw him in.

"I wish Sonny was here. He and I really need to talk."

"Then make the time to do it Carly. Sonny is keeping a distance so that you can sought out where you want to be now that things have changed."

"I want to unchanged them" She said.

"Why?"

She was taken aback. Jason never asked why questions.

"Because we deserve it."

"Do we?" Jason sat down at the edge of the desk. "You know Rovena and I were talking last night, and we were considering some of the things that I have done, and how fortunate I am that I am not in prison."

"What?" Carly said. "That is nonsense you never did anything wrong."

Jason shook his head. "Even you do not believe that Carly."

"What did you ever do that was wrong Jason?"

Jason shrugged. "Well I assassinated Alcazar."

"He was a threat to our family."

"He was my sister's husband."

Carly shook her head. "Skye is not your sister, she is adopted."

"So, Michael is not Sonny's son?"

"What is wrong with you here lately?" Carly snapped. "What thoughts is that girl putting in your head?"

"None, not really she is simply helping me to process a lot of things I just let slide. Look I am glad I am not in prison and it's not like I am going to go running to Mac and beg to get locked up, but I am not going to chance being away for decades from Danny or Jake or Rovena anymore. It was foolish and selfish."

"You have lost your mind. The people you have killed over the years were threats to our family. Lorenzo, the Ruiz's all of them."

"And half of them were only threats because they were coming after Sonny's business. Sonny's illegal businesses. That is why I like this. Corinthos Construction is legitimate. Completely and totally. Sonny and I are going to make a go of this without bending or breaking the rules."

On Pier 23 Sonny Corinthos stood gazing out at the water.

"Mr. Corinthos?" A voice from behind him said.

Sonny turned and smiled. "Yes, you must be Jimmy McNamee?"

The man nodded. "Yes." He held out his hand and shook Sonny's

"So, you asked about meeting? Maybe getting some sub-contractor work from us going forward?"

Sonny nodded. "Yes. You guys have the construction contract on the New Taub Supermarkets that are being built out along the highway going towards Beecher's Corners."

McNamee nodded. "Yessir. That was a big deal for us. I was so glad when Captain Baldwin's attorney called to tell us we had gotten the contract."

"Yes, Serena sure has made a name for herself since she got back into town." Sonny said.

"Great Lady." Said McNamee. "So, I can give you the web site we are using for the bids for sub-contractors."

"That would be great." Sonny said. He took a pen and pad from his pocket and handed it to McNamee. "Can you write it down? If you text it or email it, I'll never find it."

"I know what you mean, that tech stuff is not meant for folks our age."

The man began to write. Sonny took a step behind him and whacked him over the back of the head with a blackjack

He fell to the ground.

"I needed the contract. I am sorry about this. It's just business." Sonny then hit him several more times with the blackjack.

He slipped on a pair of gloves, then took McNamee's wallet. He took out the money and threw the rest of the wallet on the dock. Then he rolled the man's body into the water.

As Sonny walked away. He saw Lilly sitting by the edge of the dock crying unconsolably. Claudia slipped her hand into his and nodded. Karen appeared and spit at Sonny before sitting down next to Lilly and hugging her.

Damn them all thought Sonny.

In New York Laura Collins looked at her old friend Hutch and said. "Can you tell me what Alexandria has done to Jennifer?"

Hutch shook his head. "I wish I could but…" He held up his arm showing the IV. "Jennifer is paying for all this. She is fighting to keep me alive. I can't go against her."

"Hutch you don't understand. What ever Alexandria is doing to Jennifer she has made her ill. Mentally ill. She thinks she is me. Please, we just want to help her."

Hutch looked away.

"Ah enough of this crap." Scotty said. "I'll pay your medical bills. I want to to know about my sister and I want to know what danger Laura is in. So, tell us and I'll pay."

"You have that kind of money Baldwin?" Hutch said.

"Yes. I do. "

Laura smiled at Scotty. She knew that he felt he deserved none of the money that Dominque had left him. As far as Scott was concerned the fact that Dom had loved him and given him Serena was more than enough of a legacy.

Laura looked at Hutch and said. "He does and he keeps his word."

"Things were good when Jenny worked for Miss Bentley. Then I don't know the details, but Alexandria Quartermaine brought out Copperhead and took over Bentley's business."

"And my sister was happy about this?" Scotty asked disgusted.

Hutch shook his head. "Not from what I can figure no. But, look I need to confess. Jenny got her job because I knew Brooke, we dated a bit. She is a really great lady. She really wants to educate kids. "

Scotty was taken aback. "oh"

'So, when her company got into trouble, she took the bail out. Then she started to see what kind of person Alexandria was but by then it was too late. And far too late for Jenny because I got sick."

"And Alexandria paid for your care?" Laura asked.

"Yes. "

"What is it she wants with jenny?" Laura asked.

"Not Jenny you. I had no idea she was going to use Jennifer as the recipient of this I would have done something. But you have a memory that Alexandria needs."

Laura was beyond frustrated "A memory of what?"

Peter August had lost all track of time chatting in the adult chat room that he more and more frequented in order to release the increasing tension in his head. He had called Maxie twice but once again she was not answering. He got up from his desk and grabbed his coat. He needed some air.

Elizabeth shook her head. "You want us to host a show on the service?'

Hayden nodded. "Yep."

Elizabeth looked at Tom who said. "On what? Dysfunctional families?"

"Well yes actually" Hayden said smiling. "and functional ones. And ones in crisis. I want to do a show that takes the problems of the medical field and makes them real. Talks to the people involved. About treatments, about doctors about the intersection of faith and medicine of politics and medicine of the health care crisis in America and about the stuff we do right. All of it. "

"I can't speak for Elizabeth, but I am not sure that I have the time to host a TV Show."

"I agree with Uncle Tom, Hayden, I am the head of nursing at GH, between that and home, I barely have enough time to breathe."

"This wouldn't take that much time That is the beauty of an on-line service, we are not filming for a daily soap opera we are filming for a block of shows to drop. Basically, we can do about ten of these in one day. Remember you guys are the hosts not the developers. I would send you the scripts you read them over, don't like a show we don't do it. You agree we film you two in the studio and use footage to build the story. Ten a day and we drop thirty of forty at a time maybe twice a year."

"And you would pay us?' Elizabeth said.

"Yes" laughed Hayden

Elizabeth looked at her Uncle. "Three boys and Franco the extra money could help with my food bill" She said smiling.

"Hmm It's just me, but I can see benefit in this as well. Okay I'm in"

Hayden clapped her hands together.

Molly had followed Jordan outside of the funeral home. She smiled at the woman. "Is there something wrong?" She asked.

"You know I like you Molly." Jordan said. "I always have."

Molly nodded. "But?"

"It is far from my place to talk to you about your interest in your roots." Jordan said.

"Except that my roots are Cassadine?" Molly said, "And you have some concerns about that?"

'Molly you have changed over the last several months."

Molly had to agree. She was not stupid nor vapid. She knew the changes in her personality. In the behavior. She had always been confident and sure of herself. She had always been brash and forward but since moving to Spoon Island and being tutored by her Uncle Valentin all of that had been taken up a notch. She was now, well there was no other way to put it dangerous.

Before this she had been smart and bossy but there had been nothing to back up her brashness. Now she had skills, now she knew how to keep secrets, now she knew how to use those confidences.

She had been a child. Now she had killed one man to save her sister and mother and another to save herself. She had joined Valentin and the others in freeing Malkooth, and she had made a terrible decision to protect her family at the cost of the truth

She was very different then when she and TJ had begun dating in high school.

"Yes, I have." Molly said. "Mrs. Ashford, isn't that what we are supposed to do? Change? Grow?"

Jordan shook her head. "Yes, Molly. I would never expect you or TJ to be the same kids who met in High School. I mean look how much he had changed, from a boy who had problems reading to a man who will soon be a doctor. So yes, I understand change. Change should be for the better though."

"And mine is not?"

"Can you look me in the eye and tell me that being a Cassadine is going to make you a more moral person?"

"You know Mrs. Ashford, when you make judgements based on a person's religion or race it is called racism, when you make judgements based on rumors and innuendo of a last name it is called prejudice."

"It is not prejudice when it is based on fact. Or have you forgotten that your Grandfather tried to take over the world?"

"My Grandfather was no different than a thousand men throughout history who overreached. If my last name was Bonaparte would you be concerned about TJ because he was dating the granddaughter of Napoléon a man who tried to take over the world?"

"No but if it was Hitler, I would have some worries."

"It's not Hitler though Mrs. Ashford. It is Cassadine and TJ has nothing to worry about. We protect our own."

"I don't need you to protect TJ" Jordan said. "But I would like you to stay away from him."

Molly shook her head. She turned and opened the door to step back inside. "Your suggestion is noted and rejected."

She left Jordan standing there.

Maxie stood and watched Michael place flowers on Abby's grave. He stood up slowly.

"Ready?" Maxie said.

"If you don't mind, I am going to stay a bit. Maybe walk over and say hello to Morgan." Michael answered with a small smile.

"Sure, do you want me to stay? I have another meeting to get to but if your mother can push back her meetings, I can do the same."

Michael laughed. "No some one needs to be a grown up. Thank you for this Maxie."

"Sure anytime" She kissed him on the cheek and walked away.

"So, I was supposed to stay a man, a situation that was unhealthy for me in order to be in a position to treat their son and satisfy their religious peculiarities."

"Their lawyer says that you took an oath that begins 'first do no harm' and that by being a transsexual you did an irreparable damage to their son which resulted in his death."

'And if I were Muslim?"

Diane shrugged. "They may feel the same way and that will be one of our defenses, but they are going to go with the idea that you had a treatable medical condition not a personal choice."

"A treatable medical condition? Excuse me?"

"They will call conversion therapy experts as witnesses" said Alexis. "People who will claim to be able to overcome, or who have overcome transsexuality through therapy."

"Brainwashing." Snapped Terry.

Diane sighed. "Yes."

Terry looked at her. And suddenly knew. "Carol?"

Alexis nodded "Yes, so far they have released in discovery to us the name of only one expert Dr. Carol Cressman."

"Damn"

"For the record you know her?" Diane asked.

"I was engaged to her. "

"A memory of what?" Laura repeated.

"Look my understanding of this is vague at best but from what Jennifer and Brooke have told me back when you and Luke were on that Island, you saw the Ice Princess formula?"

Laura sat slowly in a chair by Hutch's bed side. She just kept staring forward. Scotty knelt next to her.

"Laura?" He said. "Are you okay?"

"I…. maybe…for a second before Robert burned it. But it was nearly forty years ago for just a second. I don't remember it."

Hutch looked sadly at her. "But according to Alexandria you do. Apparently, she took part of Brooke's educational theory to heart."

"And what is that?" Snapped Scotty.

"That we are all like computer's we remember everything. But without the right program we cannot access it. Her teaching theory is that kids can be taught to access more and more information."

"And Laura could remember the formula?" Scott said.

"No" said Hutch. "Laura, I know I am upsetting you, but you asked remember."

Laura nodded. Hutch went on "You had dissociative disorder presenting with catatonia for a long while correct?"

"Yes" Laura smiled. "I am impressed that you know its name."

Hutch nodded. "I heard it from Brooke and Jennifer enough times. Anyway, Alexandria's medical teams apparently told her that any attempt to force the memory from you unwillingly may result in a relapse."

"Which would then shut down their ability to get the memory indefinitely maybe forever,"

"Right."

"So instead Alexandria had me kidnapped. Used Dr. Maddox and Soumia's research to map my brain and implanted those memories in Jennifer."

"Yes. But Laura I think something has gone wrong. Jennifer does not seem herself when we speak."

"She is not herself you idiot" Snapped Scott. "Laura's memories are taking over hers. She's Laura!"

Abby had enjoyed the Metro Court Lunch, it was by far the best and most expensive meal she had ever eaten. She sure hoped that Ms. Benson would not be to mad when she got the bill.

She cut down across Pier 23 and headed towards Sonyea. She was passing one of the old Corinthos Shipping Warehouses, the signs were up that they were to be converted to condos, by Corinthos Construction oddly enough and she dreamed about getting her own apartment there and moving out for the Deception town house where most of the models live. She gave herself a positive self-talk and smiled

Then from behind her some one asked. "Would you like to dance?"


End file.
